Japan Society: Primary Schools

Welcome to the Japan Society, and thank you for visiting our website. Please use the following links to find out more about what we can do to help you introduce Japan into your teaching, or call us on 020 7935 0475 or email education@japansociety.org.uk.

Since 1991 the JIYC programme has provided free school visits by trained Japanese volunteers, reaching over 100,000 children. Visits are tailored to meet your needs, and can be a general introduction to Japan or designed to fit in with your school’s literacy or numeracy programmes. Free visits are available in the following areas: Bath, Brighton, Derby, Essex, Kent, London, Manchester, Nottingham, South Wales and West Surrey.

Access to Experts is an online resource designed to support teachers in organising Japan related events such as a Japan Day or an International Week. While we are unable to offer JIYC visits in all parts of the UK, Access to Experts will help you find professionals to lead workshops wherever you are.

Apply for a grant of up to £1000 to support Japan related activity at your school! Japan Society grants are given in support of small-scale projects and events which increase awareness and understanding of Japan in the UK. There are no closing dates or application deadlines.

Enter the 14th World Children’s Haiku Contest for a chance to win prizes including a digital camera and a haiku workshop at your school run by British haiku poet and educator Paul Conneally. Closing deadline Monday 15 February 2016.

How do you see your country? How would you like it to be seen? To celebrate 125 years at the heart of UK-Japan relations, the Japan Society invites students in the UK and Japan to submit their photos of life today in their countries, to be turned into a special edition 2017 calendar. The project is open to school students of any age, and can be integrated into the curriculum, run through a club, or carried out independently.

A range of resources to support teaching about Japan including Japan UK LIVE!, a bilingual online portal supporting links between schools in the UK and Japan; Japan Activity Chests, bringing traditional and modern aspects of Japan to life; Ready Steady NihonGO!, a 10 lesson course in spoken Japanese for primary school pupils; and much more.

Are you interested in bringing Japan into your classroom, but worried about speaking or writing in Japanese? Apply for a school link today and make use of our free translation service to help make this possible! Create partnerships with schools in Japan to enable pupils to explore curriculum topics and exchange information with their peers.